What Is Metro Access and How Do I Apply?

ADA TODAY

Newsletter

Volume 3 Issue 5 February 2013

What Is Metro Access and How Do I Apply?

MetroAccess is a shared-ride, door-to-door, transportation service for people whose disability prevents them from using bus or rail either sometimes or all of the time. To be eligible for MetroAccess service, you must:

1)  Have a disability as defined by the ADA

AND

2)  Be unable, as a result of your disability, to utilize fixed-route transportation such as Metrobus and Metrorail,

OR

3)  Need to use a ramp or wheelchair lift to board or exit a public transit vehicle, but an accessible public transit vehicle is not being used at the time, date, and on the route you would travel. (All Metrobuses are wheelchair accessible.)

OR

4)  Be unable to travel to or from a bus stop or rail station due to a disability.

Applying for MetroAccess Service

To determine if you are eligible to use MetroAccess, you must complete an application and have it certified by a health care professional. You can request the application by several different means. You can email your request to , You can request the application by writing to:

Metro Transit Accessibility Center
600 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001

You can stop by the offices at the address above or you can download the application from Metro’s website. Metro can also provide application instructions in Braille format. To obtain these formats please email , or call Metro. . Please indicate on your application if you need to travel with a personal care assistant.. Spanish applications are also available upon request.

In-Person Interview and Assessment

The final step in the application process is your in-person interview and functional assessment. Your interview and assessment appointment will be conducted at Metro’s main headquarters building in Washington D.C., where your independent travel skills and ability to use public transportation will be evaluated, including your ability to walk or travel a measured distance. During your interview, you also will be given information regarding Metro's Reduced Fare Program for Metrobus and Metrorail service

Once you have completed the interview, you will receive an eligibility determination on the spot, and if you are eligible for MetroAccess you will receive your ID in the mail in 7-10 days.

For answers to more questions about Metro, accessibility, and MetroAccess, please visit: http://www.wmata.com/accessibility/

______

Local News & Information

Applications for 2013 Job Access Reverse Commute Project

The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board is pleased to announce the 2013 project solicitation under the Federal Transit Administration’s Job Access Reverse Commute (JARC) and New Freedom programs. Funds are available for collaborative projects that improve transportation options for low-income commuters (JARC) and individuals with disabilities (New Freedom).

Applications for funding are evaluated and chosen through a competitive selection process. The solicitation brochure provides information on the grant programs, the funding available and match requirements. TPB staff has compiled a list of resources including project templates, examples of successful projects and tips on preparing statements of need to assist applicants in developing competitive applications. More information on the solicitation is available at the TPB’s Coordination website, including:

-Federal program guidelines and eligibility rules

-The competitive selection process

-Grant resources

-A downloadable application

Please note that applicants must attend a pre-application conference; dates and locations of the three conferences are listed below. If you have any questions or require technical assistance, please contact Beth Newman at (202) 962-3253 or at .

Autistic Self Advocacy Network Introduces the Campus Inclusion Project

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network is excited to announce the Autism Campus Inclusion project is now seeking applications for its 2013 Summer Leadership Academy. The training will take place in Washington, DC, June 9 to June 15, 2013. All expenses for the training are covered by the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, including travel, lodging and food.

The ACI summer leadership training prepares students to create systems change on their college campuses. Each participant will learn valuable skills in community organizing, creating policy goals and activism. Applicants must be current college students with at least one year remaining before graduation.

! In order to apply, please email your completed application to Melody Latimer at with the subject line "2013 ACI Application". You will receive a confirmation that your application has been received within one business day. If you need assistance or accommodations at any stage, please contact Melody Latimer at .

HSCF IS NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE Advocates in Disability Award (ADA).

The HSC Foundation’sADA Program is seeking the next generation of disability advocates!! If you are a young leader with a disability or know of anyone who is, you/they are encouraged to apply for the 2013 Advocates in Disability Award (ADA)!

The purpose of the ADA Program is to award and encourage a young individual with a disability between the ages of 14 and 26, who has dedicated himself/herself to positively affecting the lives of individuals with disabilities and their families in the United States. The program also supports an innovative project developed by that young person with a disability that serves and empowers individuals with disabilities.

The Advocates in Disability Award (ADA) is a program of The HSC Foundation, funded in part by the Sarah Beth Coyote Foundation. The selected recipient is awarded $3,000 in recognition of his/her past disability advocacy and will receive up to an additional $7,000 in funding support for his/her proposed project.

Applicants must be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States at the time of application submission and recipient selection. The Advocates in Disability Award Program is part of The HSC Foundation’s National Youth Transitions Initiative (NYTI). To apply, please see the attached guidelines and application. You may also apply online at:www.hscfoundation.org/2013ADA.php. Applications must be received byMarch 15, 2013 (by 5:00pm EST).

New Athlete Enrollment

KEEN currently has openings to immediately enroll children and teens with disabilities in our Washington, DC, and Northern Virginia Sports and Music programs and a waiting list to join our Maryland programs. To enroll your child in any KEEN program, it is important to get on the waiting list as soon as possible. We do add athletes to our program on a regular basis. To register your child in KEEN, you can do any one of the following:
1) Download this electronic New Athlete Registration Forms, type and save information directly into the form and email it to .
2) Download, print and complete by hand the New Athlete Enrollment Forms New Athlete Enrollment Forms Then mail it here: KEEN Greater DC, P.O. Box 341590, Bethesda, MD 20827
3) Request that New Athlete Enrollment forms be mailed to you by emailing us your name and address at or calling 301/770-3200 ext. 5 and leaving a detailed message.

Federal News & Information

New Report on Crimes Against People with Disabilities

U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Statistics report highlights estimates of nonfatal violent crime (rape, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated and simple assault) against people age 12 or older with disabilities from 2009 to 2011. Among the statistics reported is that for females with disabilities, the rate of violence was 53 per 1,000 in 2011, compared to 17 per 1,000 for females without disabilities.

Career Expo -Washington, DC- March 25, 2013 - 10:00am - 3:00pm

Meet qualified job candidates face-to-face at our CAREERS & the disABLED Career Expo hosted by Equal Opportunity Publications, publishers of the national award-winning magazine CAREERS & the disABLED. Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW www.itcdc.com

Bureau of Labor Statistics Releases December Employment Numbers

The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported that the unemployment rate last month essentially remained unchanged at 7.8 percent. Disability employment statistics for December show an unemployment rate that dropped to 11.7 percent among people with disabilities, down from 12.7 percent in November. The percentage of people with disabilities in the labor force was 20.5 percent, and the percentage of people with no disability in the labor force was 69.1 percent.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Obtains $365 Million for Victims of Workplace Discrimination; Reduces Charge Inventory by 10 Percent for Second Consecutive Year

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today announced that it received 99,412 private sector workplace discrimination charges during fiscal year 2012, down slightly from the previous year. The year-end data also show that retaliation (37,836), race (33,512) and sex discrimination (30,356), which includes allegations of sexual harassment and pregnancy were, respectively, the most frequently filed charges. The fiscal year runs Oct. 1 to Sept. 30. The fiscal year 2012 enforcement and litigation statistics, which include trend data, are available on the EEOC's website at http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/statistics/enforcement/index.cfm. Read more at http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/1-28-13.cfm

For Information about ODR’s Newsletter call 202-724-5055 or visit the web at odr.dc.gov.

441 4th Street NW

Suite 729 North

Washington DC 20001

Phone: (202) 724 - 5055

Fax: (202) 727 -9484

E-mail:

Visit us on the web: http://odr.dc.gov

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the District Office of Disability Rights (ODR) is to ensure that the programs, services, benefits, activities and facilities operated or funded by the District of Columbia are fully accessible to, and useable by people with disabilities. ODR is committed to inclusion, community-based services, and self-determination for people with disabilities. ODR is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the City's obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as well as other disability rights laws.